Syria says it has weapons of mass destruction in case of foreign attack

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

• NEW: The opposition says at least 175 people had been killed across Syria on Monday
• The U.S. calls the potential use of chemical weapons "completely unacceptable"
• Iraq opens border crossings to Syrian refugees
• Arab League offers Syria's president "a safe exit" if he quickly resigns, leaves country

The Syrian Foreign Ministry said Monday the country has chemical or biological weapons, but would never use them against its citizens -- only against foreign attackers.

"Any stocks of (weapons of mass destruction) or any unconventional weapon that the Syrian Arab Republic possesses would never be used against civilians or against the Syrian people during this crisis at any circumstance, no matter how the crisis would evolve," ministry spokesman Jihad Makdissi told reporters.

"All the stocks of these weapons that the Syrian Arab Republic possesses are monitored and guarded by the Syrian army. These weapons are meant to be used only and strictly in the event of external aggression against the Syrian Arab Republic," he said Monday.

The United States called for Syria to never use the weapons and keep them safely stored.